Automatic wagon-brake



(No Model.)

S. E. FERGUSON.

AUTOMATIC WAGON BRAKE.

No. 47,872. Patented Aug. 24, 1886.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

SYLVESTER E. FERGUSON, OF EUREKA SPRINGS, ARKANSAS.

AUTOMATIC WAGON-BRAKE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 347,872, dated August24, 1886,

D Application filed April 13, 1886. Serial No. 198,764.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, SYLvEsTER E. FERGU- soN, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Eureka Springs, in the county of Carroll and Stateof Arkansas, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inAutomatic WVagon-Brakes, of which the following is a specitication.

My invention relates to improvements in automatic wagon-brakes; and itconsists of the peculiar combination and novel construction andarrangement of devices, substantially as hereinafter fully set forth,and particularly pointed out in the claims.

The object of my invention is to provide an improved wagonbrake forautomatically retarding the wheels of the vehicle when it is descendinga hill or declivity, and likewise released therefrom when it descends ahill or travels on level ground; to provide lever mechanism connectingwith the brake devices and arranged in close proximity to the seat, sothat the driver can have full control over the brake; to provideimproved means for regulating the power of the brake, which can beeasily and readily adjusted and operated, and, finally, to improve thebrake in minor details, so that the friction and wear on the parts willbe reduced to a minimum and the apparatus be simple, strong, and durablein construction, efficient and reliable in operation, easily and readilyapplied to any kind of wagon, and cheap of manufacture.

In the accompanying drawings, which illustrate an automatic wagon-brakeembodying my invention, Figure 1 is a side elevation applied to a wagon.Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view through the wagon-body, on the line:0 :0 thereof, showing my invention in end elevation. Fig. 3 is adetached perspective view of the sliding frame carrying the brake-shoe.Fig. 4 is a like view of the swinging lever for actuating the brake-shoeframe. Figs. 5 and 6 are detached detail views of parts of myimprovements.

Referring to the drawings, in which like letters of reference denotecorresponding parts in all the figures, A designates a vehicle or wagonof any preferred form or class to which my improved automatic brake isapplied.

B designates the sliding frame, carrying the shoes 0 of my improvedautomatic wagon- (No model.)

brake, which is arranged on one of the sides and exterior to the body ofthe vehicle. This sliding frame B is cast or formed in asingle piece ofmetal, as shown, and comprises the horizontal bars b, arranged parallelwith each other and of unequal length, a bar, I), connecting one end ofeach of the bars b, and a curved bar, If, connecting the opposite endsof the said unequal bars b, the bar b being curved longitudinally toconform to the convex surface or periphery of the rear wheel of thevehicle. The brake-shoe Ois likewise curved to conform to the shape ofthe wheel of the vehicle against which it is designed to bear to retardthe rotation thereof.

The shoe 0 is secured to the curved bar I; of the sliding frame bymeans'of the throughbolts 0, and the ends of these shoes are extendedbeyond the bars I) of the said frame for a considerable distance, so asto provide an extended bearing-surface, which acts upon the periphery ofthe wagon-wheel, the brake-shoe being re-enforced or strengthenedbymeans of segmental plates 0, which bear against the sides thereof andare. secured in place by the same bolts, 0, which secure the shoe to thesliding frame B. This frame B is supported or held in place by means ofthe vertically-disposed brackets D, which are arranged a short distancefrom each other on one side of the wagon-body to which they are directlysecured by screws or bolts, which pass through suitable openingstherein, and each of these brackets is provided at each end with ahorizontal flange,

(Z, and a vertical flange, d, at the outer free end of the horizontalflange. The horizontal bars I), of the shoe frame B, are fitted betweenand bear against these flanges d d of the brackets, and is very securelyretained in place thereby, while at the same time the frame is free toslide back and forth in the flanges of the brackets to release and applythe brakeshoes of the vehicle-wheel.

E designates the swinging lever for actuating and controlling thesliding frame to apply and release the brake-shoes when the vehicleascends and descends a hill or declivity. This swinging lever isprovided near its upper end with right-angled lugs or trunnions c, whichare formed integral therewith, and which are fitted and journalcd'insuitable apertures or bearings in abearing-plate, F,which is rigidlyoccur.

affixed to the body by means of screws or bolts.

The swinging lever is thus pivotally supported in the bearing-plate, andit is disposed in a vertical position, with its lower end extending 5beneath the vehicle-body and the sliding shoeframe. The upper end of thesaid swinging and pivoted lever is pivotally connected with the upperbar, I), of the sliding frame, as at e, to move the frame back and forthin its brackets D in applying and releasing the brake-shoes, and to thelower free end of theswinginglever is affixed counter-weights G, whichare controlled by gravity, and cause the lever to assume a verticalposition at all times, whether ascending or descending a hill, &c.weights are of varying degrees of heaviness and are detachably fitted onthe lever, so that the power thereof can be varied to regulate the forceor pressure which the brake-shoes exert on the vehicle wheehwhich isvery important, as the vehicle sometimes travels in a very hilly ormountainous country,where it is necessary to use a brake of great power,owing to the steep and dangerous desccnts which frequently The lower andheavier weight is provided with a transverse-threaded opening, in whichworks a binding-screw, f, to clamp the weight on the lower end of theswinging lever, and the lighter weights are arranged above and bear onthe larger weight and upon one another. v Thus to vary the power of thelever one or more of the weights are removed, as circumstancesmay'require, by detaching the lower weight, and to increase the power ofthe lever the desired number of weights of suitable heaviness areadded.

H designates a stop-plate, which is rigidly affixed to the body of thevehicle by screws or bolts, or in any other suitable manner, and thisplate projects at one edge beneath the sliding frame and the bracketstherefor, so that the longitudinal slot h therein lies in such aposition'to permit of the free passage and movement therethrough of thelower portion of the swinging lever, the said lever abutting against theends of the slot in the plate, and thereby limited in its movements toand fro, to prevent it from exerting too great force in the slidingframe and of breaking or damaging its trunnions or other parts of thedevice.

I designates a hand-lever, which is pivoted at its lower end to theforward portion of the vehicle-body, as at i, so that its upper free endwill be within convenient reach of the driver occupying the seat on thevehicle, and this hand-lever is connected by an intermediate rod orlink, 1, with the sliding frame 0, whereby the brake is under the director immediate control of the operator. 'By moving the free end of thelever forwardly the operator can prevent the swinging lever from forcingthe sliding frame rearwardly and the brake-shoes in contact with thevehicle-wheel; or,if the said shoes are pressed against thevehicle-wheel, the lever can be operated by the driver to move thesliding frame forwardly and withdraw the brakeshoes from the wheel.

These the lower weighted end of the swinging lever,

is moved forwardly, which is caused by the weights assuming aperpendicular position,

thereby forcing the upper end of the swinging lever rearwardly, andlikewise operating the sliding frame to force the shoes into contactwith the vehicle-wheel to retard the latter, the force which the shoesexert on the wheel varying with the degree or length of movement of thefree end of the swinging lever. When the vehicle descends a hill ortravels again on level ground, the position of the swinging lever variesto move the sliding frame forward and withdraw the shoes from the wheel,both of these operations of applying and releasing the brake mechanismbeing accomplished automatically. The swinging lever is limited in itsmovements by the slotted stop-plate, and

the brake can be easily released from or applied to the wheels by simplyoperating the hand-lever.

I do not intend to confine myself to the exact details of constructionand form and proportion of parts herein shown and described as anembodiment of my invention, as I am aware that numerous changes thereincan be made.

Having thus described my invention, I claim- 1. In an automaticwagon-brake, the combination of a sliding frame carrying the brakeshoe,and a swinging vertically-disposed lever carrying the weight at itslower end and connected with the frame near its upper end, to actuatethe same, substantially as described, for the purpose set forth.

2. In an automatic wagon-brake, the combination of a sliding frame, abrake-shoe carried thereby, and a vertically-disposed weighted leverconnected with the frame for moving it and the shoes back and forth,substantially as described.

3. In an automatic wagon-brake, the combination of a sliding frame, thebrake-shoes carried thereby, the swinging vertical lever connected withthe frame for controlling it, and the detachable weights fitted on thefree end of the lever to vary the power thereof, substantially asdescribed.

4. In an automatic wagon-brake, the combination of a sliding frame, thebrake-shoe carried thereby, a swinging weighted lever connected to theframe for controlling and moving it, and a hand-lever also connectedwith the sliding frame to move it independ ently of the swinging lever,substantially as described.

5. In an automatic wagon-brake, the combination of a sliding frame, aswinging Weighted lever connected to the frame for controlling andmoving it, and a rigid stop-plate for limiting the play of the lever,substantially as described.

6. In an automatic wagon-brake, the combination of a sliding frame, thebrackets affixed rigidly to the vehicle-body and supporting the frame,the brake-shoes carried by the frame, and the weighted swinging leverconnected with the frame, substantially as described, for the purposeset forth.v

7. In an automatic wagon-brake, the combination of the rigid bracketsaffixed to the vehicle-body and having the lugs (1 cl, a sliding framefitted in the brackets and free to move therein, the segmental shoesecured to and extended at its end beyond the frame, and having there-enforcing-plates at its sides, and a fulcrumed swinging leverconnected with the frame and carrying weights at its lower end,substantially as described.

8. The combination, in a wagon brake, of a sliding frame carrying thebrake-shoes, a swinging lever pivoted to the frame at its upper end, andhaving the trunnions e, a rigidsupport in which the trunnions of thelever 0 arejournaled, the detachable weights fitted on the lower end ofthe lever, and one having a binding-screw, and a slotted stop-plate inwhich the lever is free to move, substantially as described.

SYLVESTER E. FERGUSON.

Witnesses:

JoHNG. DEWOLF, Z. P. FREEMAN.

